Chrysler's tradition of pressure-cooker pocket rockets began in with the Dodge Omni GLH Turbo it stood for "Goes Like Hell" , created at a time when the corporation was still edging back from the lip of an economic abyss and had little in the way of engine resources.
The solution was turbocharging, a cheap route to extracting big power from small displacements. Standards have changed since the GLH. For example, it is no longer acceptable for the car to try to snatch the steering wheel from the driver's hands. Our GLH road test [May ] warned the world that if an unwary driver should "apply full throttle in first or second gear with the front wheels cocked a bit to port or starboard, the GLH Turbo is going to go where it's pointed—into that ditch, up that snowbank, or around that tree.
With horsepower and pound-feet of torque, the hot Caliber clearly fits that description. We're happy to report that the SRT guys have largely tamed that particular demon, at least compared with a couple other cars in this class. However, we're getting ahead of our narrative. What you really want to know is the hardware story, what the hardware adds up to in terms of performance, what it costs, and how all of this stacks up versus the other pocket-rocket players.
So let's address those power points in that order. Mechanically and cosmetically, the not-so-blank canvas on which the SRT troops were invited to exercise their go-faster artistry represented a much bigger challenge than did the Neon.
Tall But you play the cards you're dealt, and considering the nature of the base car, the SRT achievement is impressive. The first order of business was the suspension. Although there were no concerns with chassis rigidity—the front-shock-tower connecting brace common to so many factory hot-rod packages is conspicuous by its absence here—the team had to figure out how to make a big reduction in ride height and still retain acceptable ride and handling.
There were two reasons for the lowering job. One—minor—was cosmetic. Getting the car a little closer to the ground, and filling the wheel wells with 7. Second, reducing the ride height—1. As you'd expect, the suspension has undergone a general stiffening, with ZF Sachs twin-tube dampers all around, higher spring rates fore-and-aft, and a stiffer by 0.
Given the car's speed potential, the SRT team decided it was best to be conservative with rear roll stiffness. However, for hard-core autocrossers, Mopar plans to offer a track kit with much higher spring rates and firmer dampers. The brakes are formidable: Not only does this system provide fade-free braking, but the heavy-duty dimensions of the front rotors allowed the engineers to be aggressive with the so-called brake-lock differential. The brake-lock diff is an alternative to a conventional mechanical limited-slip differential and relies on the traction-control system.
Operating on info from the ABS sensors, it limits wheelspin by squeezing the rotor of the wheel that has lost traction, which sends power to the opposite wheel. The system tends to chew the rotors pretty hard, but the SRT engineers figure their robust setup can handle it. Other elements of the chassis inventory include power rack-and-pinion steering, traction control, and stability control.
The latter can't be entirely shut down, although its threshold is high. But it does add to the challenge of achieving optimal drag-racing holeshots. The packaging offers several unique aspects and includes some fun creature features. According to Good Car Bad Car , the Caliber sold okay for the first three years, but still much worse than the car it replaced, the Dodge Neon , which bowed out after the model year. Worse was the fact that the Caliber was an economy car in a lineup of Daimler Chrysler products that were pretty much all filled with hard, bland interiors.
And I mean gray. Oh, and there were the illuminated cupholders and an iPod holder in the armrest, which—to its credit—could slide fore and aft to accommodate various human body sizes:. Dodge also offered a bigger screen, as well as color inserts for the seats, and a big color center stack trim piece:.
Adding to those points is the styling. The Caliber is definitely cute, with the aggressive wheel arches, big grille, and giant taillights making it seem like a tiny hatchback in the middle of a growth spurt into an SUV. And then there was the SRT model, with its big wing, nice aluminum wheels, sweet hood scoop, and unique lower fascias and side skirts.
Plus there were changes to the suspension and brakes to make them a bit better for track use, and a manual trans with sixth gear came onboard. More importantly, the Caliber SRT-4 got a turbocharged version of the 2. MORE torque steer. Per Motor Trend :. Making its debut in July as part of the DaimlerChrysler group, the Dodge Caliber is the brand's first offering.
A five-seater family hatchback with front-wheel drive, it's designed to get buyers familiar with the ram's head badge and 'grab life by the horns' slogan before the company's full range goes on sale.
Unveiled in production trim at January's Detroit Motor Show, the newcomer features the aggressive looks that have made Dodge the fifth biggest car seller in the States. Ahead of its summer UK launch, Auto Express got the chance to drive the entry-level 1. Compared with previous US offerings that have crossed the Atlantic, the Caliber is very refined. The bhp car is no hot hatch, but performance will be adequate for most buyers.
Push the engine through the manual gears and it makes a surprisingly pleasant noise, too. What's more, the steering has been well engineered. Drive into a corner at speed and the nose turns in sharply, with minimal body roll. It's not up to the standard set by Volkswagen's Golf and Ford's Focus, but it's better than American imports of the past. The Caliber also offers a reasonably supple ride. The car we drove had US suspension settings, but we have been assured there will be more fine-tuning before July.
Overall, the dynamics are impressive.
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